178 



The bitch in question was a very powerful one for her size, and 

 had a peculiarly deep-toned English bark ; (we know how sadly 

 this degenerates in India) I mention this as the deep voice pro- 

 bably saved her life. 



When the field division, I was then attached to, was encamped 

 on the plain near Nagode ; I was one morning strolling in the 

 neighbourhood of our camp and trying to induce a very fine 

 Clumber spaniel to hunt for quail and painted partridges. 



The bitch was however terribly " gun-shy ;" she had, I believe, 

 been one of the famous Lucknow Garrison, and possibly her nerves 

 had been affected by the horrors of war ; so, to re-assure her, I left 

 my gun with my horsekeeper and took her to the river where there 

 was a dark deep pool ; the morning was a very hot one, and she 

 was thoroughly enjoying her swim, when, to my horror, I saw 

 rapidly approaching her, against the stream, the triangular mark 

 on the water which betokened the approach of an alligator : I called 

 her of course but, thinking that I was about to throw something 

 for her to fetch, she turned and swam quickly towards the alligator 

 (which by this time I could see perfectly) ; thus meeting it face to 

 face. As it tried to seize her by the head, it twisted its body and 

 evidently attempted to upset her with its tail. The brute, hitherto 

 accustomed to flight on the part of a victim, was perhaps cowed by 

 the unexpected turn and rapid advance towards it of the bitch : 

 I remembered afterwards that, as she was seized she reared almost 

 out of the water which she struck hard with her strong forefeet, 

 and that, at the same time, in her mortal fear, she uttered a 

 deep bark. 



This doubtless still more flurried her assailant while I, from the 

 bank a few feet off, almost on the level of the water, probably 

 assisted her by my howls and contortions. She was not pulled 

 under and swam for dear life to me accompanied, close at her 

 side and shadow-like, by her demonical foe, I own, that when 

 stooping to help her on to the stone on which I stood, I felt almost 

 nervous for he might then, very easily have seized her, or made a 

 snap at my arm. The spaniel bolted up the steep bank, but the 

 alligator remained for some seconds with his head o clo^e to the 



